From Faker to King
by Shiratori Ryuga
Summary: When Shirou destroyed the Holy Grail, he did not expect to get shut off from his world. Starting over in a new world where the Age of God never truly ended, how will the boy made of swords confront these challenges?
1. Prologue

Hey everybody! My muse had finally come back from the dead! It feels great to be writing again but my creative juice is not flowing as easily as I want yet, so this story will not be updated very quickly. This story will not be as dark as the Fate series since I'm horrid at writing such a genre.

Shirou (suddenly appearing in the room): Hey! What's going on here! Where am I?

Ryuga: Ahh, good. You're here.

Shirou: Ehh? Who are you?

Ryuga (chuckles evilly): Just a demented author with Zelretch's sense of humor. Now... Invoke Reality Marble! **Nirvana's Inferno: Taint of the Benevolent God!**

Shirou: WHAT! (before being sucked into a dark portal)

Ryuga: Now that that's done, on with the story!

(Sorry bout that little crack-tastic Author's corner there.)

Illya: Shiratori Ryuga does not own Fate/Stay Night or Campione. He could barely write fanfics as it is.

* * *

*Prologue*

"_I'm sorry, onii-chan." The voice of a young girl echoed the vast field of plain whiteness. "I wish I could send you back, but it is impossible."_

_In front of the collapsed broken body of a redhead stood a beautiful white-haired girl in an elaborate outfit known as the Dress of Heaven. Behind her stood an older looking version of the girl and a man in a black suit with a dark grey duster. While the redhead was not cognizant of his current situation, the image was burned into his mind. The serene smile of the older woman and the proud smirk on the man's face did wonders for the broken psyche of the young man._

"_With the gates leading to Heaven's Feel closed, I cannot send you back to our world." The young girl continued; a sad smile on the childish face that the young man wished he wouldn't see. To him, it looked out of place._

_Slowly, the young man forced his right arm up and patted the girl on her head. He felt his limb burned with intense agony, but he forced down the grimace. "It's alright, Illya," he sighed softly as he forced a smile on his face as the pain that was destroying his cognitive ability was slowly becoming more tolerable. "If I didn't do what I did, there wouldn't be a world left back there."_

_He had forsaken his ideals to save the girl he had sworn to protect, had walked away from the path his father-figure had once took, and he didn't regret. He felt sad about leaving the girl and her sister behind and his inability to hold onto the promise made with the purple-haired girl, but there was nothing else he could do. It was either pushing his body to the breaking point or watching the entire world be destroyed by the tainted source of all evil in the world. To him, a man who had once sought the path to become a hero, there was only one choice to make._

"_While I can't send you back to our world," the little girl suddenly spoke up, "I could send you to another world. Maybe we can start over and be like the family we were meant to be."_

_Before the young man could even voice a single syllable, the girl had pulled him off the ground with ridiculous strength and started dragging him away from the two adults. Not able to do anything since his body was still in pain, he simply went with the girl's whim. Looking back, he saw the two adults waving at them._

"_I'm proud of you, Shirou," the older man finally spoke up while the woman who looked like a grownup Illyasviel continued to wave them off. "Remember, there will always be something more important to a hero than saving the most lives in a given situation. Take good care of Illya and have a happy life."_

* * *

Shirou jolted awake as the plane he was on landed at its destination. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he stretched his arms up to loosen any kinks from the fifteen hour flight. Shaking the tiredness out of his head, he gave a soft sigh. _'It's been a while since I had that dream,' _the redhead thought as the plane came to a complete stop at its terminal.

It had been ten years since his soul had been sent to this universe with the help of his younger-looking older sister. When they first arrived, his soul was inserted this world's version of Shirou, who at the time was in a coma due to his family being caught up in a terrorist bombing. He was then adopted by a man named Francis D. Stein, who was ironically going by the name Emiya Kiritsugu at the time.

Shirou stiffened a laugh as he thought about that little revelation when he neared the airport's immigration. The coincidence was quite ridiculous from Shirou's perspective. What was more ironic was the fact this world's Kiritsugu was also the blood-related father of one Illyasviel. While she carried the Stein's family name, she appeared to have inherited her mother's appearance.

According to Kiritsugu, or Francis since Shirou didn't see him as the Hero of Justice that had raised him in his original world, the woman was someone he had met in Moscow a few years ago. Apparently, she had died due to cardiomyopathy. Illya, whose soul also came to this world with Shirou, had told him how broken a man Francis had become at the time and threw himself into research at Lomonosov University, where he was teaching at the time.

A year after the death of Francis' wife, he decided to move to Japan with his five-year-old daughter. Apparently he was invited over by his friend and colleague Kusanagi Ichirou, who was also friend with Shirou's real parents apparently.

After the death of Shirou's parents in this world, Ichirou had tried to take care of him, but with his two grandchildren and a being retired, he wouldn't be able to take care of another child. Thankfully, Francis, who had at the time left everything behind in Moscow including his original name, had decided take him in.

Shirou had tried asking why the man had changed his name, but Francis never did answered.

Interestingly enough, with the money his foster father had after selling most of his assets in Russia, he was somehow able to procure a mansion similar to the one he had lived at back in Fuyuki. He still had no idea how it was possible to get a large place like this in Tokyo, but he decided not to ask seeing how secretive this world's Francis was. At least the tool shed of the mansion served its purpose for being his and Illya's personal workshop.

Having a better understanding of his personal brand of magecraft from fully assimilating Archer's memories and knowledge had given him all the basics he had missed out in the Magus Killer's mediocre lessons. With a younger body, his nervous system had not been damaged from channeling prana yet. This allowed him to work on his magecraft without the dangerous and stupid method he was working on back in his original world.

Speaking of his original world, the teenager-turned-preschooler had wanted to go back to his world. He had practically begged Illya to tell him any methods she could think of, but she answered negatively. Apparently, the Third Magic had shut itself off to that world before the ex-homunculus could send him back, so it was a one-way trip. The only way she could let her 'onii-chan' continue living was anchoring his soul to another reality. It was more or less creating the phenomenon of the Kaleidoscope through Heaven's Feel, and she had little control over the process. It explained why Illya's soul arrived to this plane about six years earlier than his did. The only way he could even have a chance to return to his original world was for him to somehow learn the Magic known as Kaleidoscope, pinpoint where his world was in the sea of realities, and transport himself there without being thrown off course. He would probably have better luck winning the lottery over a hundred times in a row than something like that happening.

Well, he could always try and find Zelretch, if the enigmatic Old Man of the Jewels was to come into this dimension. This idea was instantly discarded by Illya due to the stories she had heard about the man. Meeting a guy who would most likely throw you into a world that will make you lose a part of your sanity is and forever will be a very, VERY bad idea. With no other choice, Shirou decided to merely settle down into the new life he was probably going to be stuck with.

Well, at least this world wasn't too bad. Apparently, magecraft was more powerful here. The interference from Gaia was either, surprisingly, nonexistent or it was so miniscule it might as well be completely absent. Unfortunately, the cost to trace any Noble Phantasms had nearly tripled. The weapons pulled from his Reality Marble would not disappear, but even bringing out Kanshou and Bakuya would leave him winded for a while. At least with the same amount he could pull off a fifty-sword rain so it wasn't too bad.

Maybe it was his inexperience or the different workings of the world, but he had decided to simply trace as many weapons as he could fit into the toolshed behind the house so he would be able to just pick one up if he ever needs to.

On another note, his hair wasn't even showing the first sign of turning white from overusing Projection, which was another plus for him. His red hair made him stand out as it currently is. He didn't want to think how much attention he would grab if his hair was going white.

Apart from tracing, he was also working on a motorcycle that runs completely on runes instead of gasoline. He had thought of starting such a project on a washing machine but scrapped the idea after Illya had laughed at the ridiculousness of such an idea. He had mumbled about how awesome such an idea truly was and his older sister simply couldn't see the greatness of it when he happened to spot a 1985 V-Max. It was something Francis had kept for sentimental reasons but the thing was falling apart. And so, the young boy took this opportunity to try and fix up the old piece of junk through magecraft even though he was still too young to ride it.

Surprisingly, he had somehow succeeded in such a feat in eight years, and decided to rub it in Illya's face for doubting him. She simply responded by weaving a ridiculously large hawk out of barb razor wire through her alchemy and sent it at him. Thankfully Francis had been away due to a special lecture he was giving at Tokyo University, but he was forced to run away screaming like a little girl for three hours. He didn't regret his actions one bit though and would continue to mock the white-haired girl from time to time, causing her to either pout cutely or snap at him with some kind of wire construct when Francis' away.

Shirou had been utterly surprised at the time when his sister first utilized her magecraft. According to her, it was the specialty of the Einzberns, which was alchemy. It was an interesting lecture from his younger-looking older sister that was for sure. She had apparently perfect a way to fly through the use of her wire-woven puppets as well, where she would create small sets of wings that protrude from different parts of her body. How she could even do something like that was still a mystery to the redhead but he just chalked that one up to something he would most likely never understand or Illya will tell him eventually. After all, it wasn't like there's anything they really need to hide from each other unless they simply wanted to see the other squirm in frustration.

Stepping out of the airport with the duffel bag he had packed for the trip, Shirou couldn't help but grin at the beautiful scenery in front of him.

Unfortunately for Shirou, this trip is but the first step into his new and very chaotic life.

* * *

*Author's note*

Hi everybody! Shiratori Ryuga here! After a long break from writing fanfics, I'm back. I was hoping I was the first to have a Campione and Fate/Stay Night crossover story but I got beat to it... Oh well.

First thing on the agenda...I need a beta. My beta had quit on me a long time ago so my grammar will most likely be shoddy. I'll also need someone who knows how to type Renaissance style English seeing that's how the gods in Campione speaks. It's all just for fun anyway.

Second, I know I will (if I haven't yet) butcher a few Nasuverse laws of magecraft, like Heaven's Feel closing after Shirou Excaliblasted the Grail, but it's all plot background. More or less Shirou's soul arrived in the Campione world with everything that had been etched onto his body, i.e. Archer's arm, Avalon, the circuits system that is not native to the world of Campione. Same thing with our favorite loli.

For the Reality Marble thing in the Author's corner at the beginning: Well, if Urobuchi Gen's Reality Marble (Dead End Catharsis: Heaven and Hell Drop) decreases happiness of all character by one rank, mine would be the opposite, which targets one person and raises the happiness by one rank. Unfortunately, it would also raises the the rank of said person's chick magnet skill (which doesn't work on Shirou since his BAR is already rank EX), and with Shirou's denseness regarding such thing...

Well, that's all for now. I can't think of anything else to address so feel free to comment and critique (just don't flame me please).

Till next time.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, Shiratori Ryuga here with the next installment of From Faker to King! I'm glad about the reviews and questions you've all posed and I will address them here in Author's note.**

**Firstly, the whole Third Magic idea. I understand it is the materialization of soul, which stops the dispersion of soul once it loses its anchor on the world and having the soul return to Akasha. The way I see it (though most of you will most likely disagree with me), this phenomenon isn't limited to the worlds in Nasu-verse. While the Campione Universe have different rules due to the existence of 'Heretic' Gods, in which I will into more depth once we reach that part of the story, eventually all souls will go back to Akasha from there too, which means the door of Heaven's Feel exists (in some way) in that universe as well. So more or less, it would be like Illya used Akasha as a transit point (they more or less went around it than back into it. I know I'll get bashed by fans for such an assumption but that's my plot!) to send them into another world. That would hopefully explain why Shirou is more knowledgeable about magecraft seeing how close he was to the Roots of existence and would probably absorbed some of the other Archer's thoughts in the process.**

**The fact that the two didn't land in the dimension at the same time is also due to this. While the gates to Heaven's Feel exists in this world (no grail here, thankfully…), it didn't let them bind themselves to an anchor of their choosing. Instead it was more like 'there's the most compatible anchor for your soul we could find. Now GET IN IT AND LEAVE ME ALONE!' Shirou arrived when his body is at the age of five while Illya arrived when she was being born.**

**Second thing would 'tracing' causing three times the amount. Let me put this way… THERE'S A REASON THE SWORDS ARE NOT DISAPPEARING! Even after Shirou cuts the prana flow, they continued to exist! The normal swords will also cause more but not as big a difference as Noble Phantasms due to the steps. If Shirou traced his two favorite weapons without the final four steps, he wouldn't even feel a tingle of exhaustion! Another reason is because the Gaia of Campione's universe sees it as something foreign but compatible with it. And with all the 'Gods' and 'Kings' running around and affecting the world one way or another, the Gaia here is more accepting than the Nasuverse's. Besides, it's actually a way of limiting Shirou from pulling out a deus ex machine out through tracing. He's going to more or less take the original main character's place so I have to limit his power… somehow… Besides, how broken would Shirou be if he can just bind the gods and kings up in Enkidu and Excaliblast them into oblivion ****(or use any other anti-divine Noble Phantasms like Harpe)****?**

**The 'magic' results of both worlds are similar, but the methods of reaching them are different. Magecraft from Nasuverse will work in the Campione's world but they wouldn't work vice versa due to the difference between the two Gaia.**

**As for Kiritsugu 'Francis' Emiya, don't worry people. He is going to be an important character in one of the arcs. Some of you would probably guess it by that comment but you'll have to wait and see what I have planned for the guy. Don't worry, he won't be pulling out the Origin Bullets. He's not really badass enough to do that. I will be refering to this world's Kiritsugu as Francis because it's how Shirou refers to thim in his mind. In conversation, people will still be call Francis, Kiritsugu. Hopefully you readers understand.  
**

**And remember to review! I'm addicted to those things!  
**

**So a quick overview of what's going on in the story so far:**

**1) Shirou and Illya got locked out of their world by Heaven's Feel.**

**2) Illya decided to send both their souls to another dimension through another gate of Heaven's Feel.**

**3) Shirou, with an almost similar history in this world as his original, was adopted by Kiritsugu 'Francis' Emiya, who had moved away from Moscow and currently teaching at Tokyo University.**

**4) Shirou is practicing 'tracing', learning runes and created the first ever runic motorbike while Illya is expanding on her alchemy knowledge behind this world's Kiritsugu**

**5) Currently, Shirou had arrived at Italy.**

**Disclaimer: I owe not both Campione and Fate/Stay Night. And typing archaic English is a real pain...  
**

**Now then… *Ahem* …On with the story!**

* * *

(Onii-chan, are you alright? Did you forget something? Are you in trouble? Do you need me to fly over right away?) The chain of questions from Shirou's nee-san assaulted him through the phone as soon as it was answered from the other end. Before he could even reply, a question that sent shivers down his spine was heard. (Did you pick up another girl by accident?)

"No! Nothing happened! I'm just calling to let you know I've arrived at the hotel I was staying at. Nothing more, nothing less. There's no need for you to fly over at all. Besides, I'm just here to deliver something for Ichirou ji-san," Shirou answered quickly. When Illya said she would fly over right away, she wasn't joking. The girl would probably summon up one of her giant wire-woven bird and command it to fly from Japan to Italy if Shirou needed help. It was funny how protective his nee-san was even though she enjoyed acting like a little sister most of the time.

(Well… if you say so… But I just got a call from Mariya earlier today. She said something about trouble heading your way in Cagliari. Maybe you should just deliver the stupid piece of rock and be done with it,) the girl sighed on the other end of the line.

She didn't like the 'childhood friend' Shirou made when they first entered elementary school. That girl used to be quite outgoing until her trip to Austria. That girl had always made it her goal to get between her alone time with onii-chan, saying what they did was immoral and they should be ashamed. Really, what was so bad about kissing Shirou on the lips out in public? They weren't even related by blood! The girl's mind is probably in the gutters most of the time if she thinks an affectionate hug and kissing is 'improper'.

Her dislike for the 'prim and proper' miko aside, Illya did give her credit on her visions. The images she received might be quite random, but at least they were great warning signs. Like the time when the girl had told her about seeing Shirou being thrown off a roof by a large silver eagle. Illya near choked on her drink when she heard what the girl said because she had accidentally did something like that the previous night. Even though her visions are unreliable when it comes to mundane events, her ability on the fantastical phenomena are quite accurate. The only thing needed was to decipher the messages said visions are trying to tell.

"I would like to, but the person I'm meeting said she wouldn't be at her place until tomorrow. I don't think leaving the stone tablet at the foot of her door is a good idea. This thing is practically radiating prana…" Shirou countered. What he said was true. While it wasn't releasing any malevolent intent, something that is giving off this much power should be handled with great care.

(Why couldn't that baseball idiot handle it instead?) Illya said before another sigh escaped her before her tone changed. (Well, whatever. Just don't act like the heroic moron that you are and you should be fine. And watch out for any giant boars, winged horses and locust swarms. It's what Mariya saw in her vision.)

"I'll keep that in mind," Shirou replied swiftly. That tone of hers was so similar to Tohsaka's it was scary. "And we both know why Godou couldn't do it. He has that training trip with his baseball team. Ichirou wouldn't let Shizuka come here alone even if she wanted to, and we both know how protective dad is when it comes to you." Shirou shook his head when he thought about how doting his dad usually acts when something regarding Illya comes up. "And couldn't you just call Yuri by her given name for once? We've known each other for ten years now."

(No! I don't want to!) Apparently, Illya had shifted back to her childish persona. (I will not act so familiar to that that hussy! She's trying to take onii-chan away from Illya when she knew onii-chan belongs only to Illya!)

Shirou shook his head at his nee-san's tone. He will never understand why any females would act the way Illya does. Couldn't she see they were just friends? Well… maybe a little more than just friends when he swore he would keep Yuri safe from whatever she had faced on the trip to Austria and how closely she clung onto him from time to time, but that was another story. And what's this about taking him away? He isn't going to leave Illya behind no matter what so why would she be worrying about something like that?

"Well, it doesn't matter. Just act civilized around her, please? I don't want to come back and see the two of you getting into another fight like last time. Anything you want me to get while I'm here?"

(You don't need to buy me anything. Just make sure I'm the first person to taste any recipes you'll 'add to your list' and I promise I won't get into a fight with Mariya,) Illya chirped. Really, when it comes to 'learning' the secrets of different cooking recipes, Shirou is on par with some of the most knowledge-thirsty magi back in their original world. If someone told Shirou reaching Akasha would allow him to learn every cooking recipes in the universe that had been improved to its pinnacle, he would've become a first-rate mage in no time.

Shirou merely chuckled at the request. "Sure. I'm going to unpack and head out for lunch now. If anything happens, I'll give you a call."

After saying goodbye to Illya and unpacking some necessities from his bag, Shirou decided to take a stroll. The hotel he was staying at was actually just a three-story inn, but it was well-accommodated and very clean. He was very thankful when Ichirou arranged the trip for him and even wanted to provide the traveling expenses, but he had turned it down. After all, it wasn't fair for the old man to try and cover then expense of the entire trip even if he was the one to offer, so Shirou had paid for the entire thing while the old man helped him plan.

As he wandered the nearly empty street of Cagliari, his mind started going over what his adoptive father said before his trip.

* * *

_*Flashback*_

"_Are you sure about this, Shirou?" the voice of Francis, or Kiritsugu since he had changed his name, caught Shirou's attention while he was packing. "I could go there in your place if you want. After all, I've been to Italy a few times when I was still teaching at Lomonosov."_

_Turning around, Shirou looked at his 'father' for the last ten years. He had a look that screamed 'worry' etched on his face. Shirou merely replied with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, ji-chan. I can protect myself just fine. And I'm certain someone there will know how to speak English. It's not like I'll get lost or something."_

_Seeing the confidence in his son's eyes, the university professor couldn't help but relented from trying to persuade him otherwise. "I guess I'm just not used to seeing you kids growing up so fast." Pausing for a moment, the man took out a cigarette and lit it. "Just remember, son, there are things in this world many mortals don't know about. You should take heed and avoid them at all cost."_

_The man then walked out of the room, leaving Shirou to stew on the comment he had just made. 'Could he… could he know more than we thought? He never showed any signs of knowing anything mystical for the last ten years. Other than the fact that he teaches mythology at Todai… maybe I'm just overthinking on this.'_

_Francis doesn't even have some kind of indication he is a magus. While all the magi in this world share a similar 'scent', there should still be something he could detect if his current adoptive father could use magic._

'_I'll think about this later,' Shirou thought before going back to packing away his things._

* * *

'Maybe I should've asked nee-chan about it. Francis doesn't seem like a bad guy, and he's been a better father than Kiritsugu ever would be… Looks like I'll have to talk to nee-chan about this when I get back then.'

With no way of figuring out the enigmatic man that is his adoptive father, Shirou decided to head into one of the local eatery to have a late lunch and maybe 'learn' a few new recipes. Just another day for the chef with a hero complex.

* * *

"Ahh… who knew such a simple dish could taste that amazing. Just goes to show true chefs don't need any fancy ingredients. Maybe they could add one or two more spices to bring out more flavors without diminishing the flavor from the mussels and clams?" Another meal, another recipe sto… I mean 'learned'… and possibly improved in the future.

After his meal, Shirou had decided to take a walk towards the sea, visiting the landmarks of the city as he traveled with a backpack for keeping the stone tablet on him at all times. In his mind, it was a decent break from all the magecraft and training he had been doing whenever he had free time. Whatever had Yuri so shaken up after her trip to Austria must've been something truly powerful. The scent of the unknown the girl had encountered lingered for nearly a month after she returned. That was definitely not a good sign.

His senses were suddenly struck by a strong 'scent'. It was the 'smell' of many different animals and… steel? Forcing the dizziness from the sudden assault, he quickly scanned his surroundings. Was this something his 'dad' told him to watch out for? Was this something Yuri encountered when she visited Austria?

When he finally got his bearings down, he finally took notice of a boy looking at him. The scent was becoming more bearable and with the person, who gave off a calming aura, in the vicinity, Shirou slowly adapted to the feeling.

The boy was dressed in something that was definitely out of place. The clothes he wore looked like something one would find on a person traveling the desert. A dirty brown cloak over what looked like dirtied white ceremonial robes. He also looked around Shirou's age with black hair that reached his shoulders and porcelain white skin.

The gentle smile that seemed etched on his face made Shirou think of the sun. It was very bright, inhumanely so, but Shirou merely pushed that feeling aside. Besides, whatever the boy is, if he didn't mean any harm, Shirou wouldn't confront him hostilely either.

"**** **** ****"

Shirou blinked owlishly at the [not human] teen. He knew the person in front of him was trying to communicate with him, but he couldn't understand a single word. It didn't sound like anything he had heard before and it sure wasn't Italian.

"Umm… sorry, but I don't understand what you said." Seeing as the [not human] in front of him was acting politely, he decided to do so as well. It would be foolish to antagonize something as powerful as the being in front of him after all, especially without any Noble Phantasms above a B rank, and those would cost too much to trace and still leave him battle-ready. He could always try to use a sword rain, but with the strong 'smell' of steel on the being, he wasn't sure.

"Ahh, my sincere apologies, I shall use your way of speech then," the being said casually in fluent Japanese. That surprised Shirou greatly. How did the being, who was speaking in a completely foreign tongue suddenly switch to fluent Japanese like that? Although his accent sounded off, like something from the Heian period.

While Shirou was trying to think of a logical explanation for the youth's sudden fluency in a different language, the [not human] continued. "While quite insignificant, thou carriest an infinitesimal taint of a hated foe of mine, yet it seemeth thou hast been purified by something not of this world. More so, a strange… smell, dare I say… hangeth around thee. Thou truly seemest an interesting person, thus I spoke to thee." While the youth only voiced the last part of his comment out loud, Shirou caught everything he had said.

The situation would've turned into a nightmare if the being had started attacking him after he had given his reason, but at least there was still no hostility shown by the youth. What the boy had said really put him in a great dilemma. What did the boy meant by 'taint'? Purified by something not of this world? Could he mean… wait… "Wait… a smell? What smell? I don't think I smell bad… do I?"

The boy chuckled heartily. "Payest no heed to it. I mayhap made a fool of myself. Boy, acceptest mine apology for my misspoken words. Pray forgives me, I mean thee no offense."

Staring at the youth for a second to see if he might attack him, Shirou slowly relaxed his body. The youth continued to radiate absolutely no hostility toward him. Sensing his unease, the boy patted Shirou on the shoulder. "Relax, boy. I mean thee no harm."

That simple gesture apparently got Shirou to drop more of his guard unconsciously. While not as bright as before, the smile was quite calming. Interestingly, while the way he phrased his words could be taken as someone talking down to others, his tone said otherwise. Maybe Gilgamesh used to sound like this before he grew into the narcissistic bastard?

With a resigning sigh, Shirou decided to act more casual. After all, if something of such immense power wanted to attack him, they would've probably ignore everything around them and simply do so. "So may I know what your name is? I'm Emiya Shirou, and I was born in Japan."

"Ahh yes. Well, my name is… and my birth place… Umm… what was it?"

That was definitely surprising. Could a greater being like the boy standing before him lost his memory? Is it even possible? "Is it possible you have… lost your memories?" he asked, unsure of how he should react to this predicament. Maybe he should've listen to his dad and let him take this trip instead. If Illya finds out about this, she'll probably seek her wire-puppets on him… again… and he didn't even accidentally gain a female admirer this time! "Is there anything you remember then?"

The boy nodded his head. "Yes, I know the most important about myself," the boy proclaimed. "I am the victor. Victory is always in my hands. That is my nature. Facing any kind of conflict or enemy, unchangeable and unshakeable is my victory."

The being had caught Shirou off guard for at least the fourth time so far. This encounter had been giving him nothing but one headache after another. "That… is quite… incredible…"

However, the youth's face dimmed right after his declaration as he stared off into the distance. "Mayhap, but I have long sought the taste of defeat. However, none hath ever prevailed against me. Whenever I face a challenge I would lose myself, and cannot avoid getting serious…" Turning to Shirou, he suddenly made a suggestion. "How about it? Art thou interested in competing against me? Canst thou amuse me for a while? Anything, as long as thou art good at it. Be it games, martial arts, a battle of wits, horse riding, anything. By the way, this place seemeth to be near Greece, I remember that country hath a kind of competition that made use of the entire body, rather interesting. Dost thou have something thou art good at?"

'Something I'm good at…' Shirou started thinking on the question. Seeing as the very powerful [not human] had asked kindly, there was no way for him to turn down the challenge. Besides, it's better for the being to be occupied by something than goes around causing great amount of destruction elsewhere. 'Well, there is cooking of course, but we can't have a competition here… anything that has to do with magecraft and sword fighting are out as well… maybe a race then? I am confidence when it comes to my speed and stamina…'

Looking around, Shirou spotted a few young Italian workers at the dock playing football, using fishing nets as their goals. With a grin on his face, he pointed toward the group playing. "What about a game of football then. While it's not my best sport, I'm quite confident in my skill," Shirou stated with a grin of his own.

Looking in the direction the redhead was pointing, the young boy merely hummed amusedly. "Thou wishest to challenge me at something thou art not truly suited for? Dost thou thinkest thou art not overly confident?" the being asked with an interested smile.

"While I am most likely to lose, there's still a possibility I might win. I will put all my effort into grasping that chance at victory. Besides, it's not every day I get to challenge someone who more or less claimed to be the embodiment of victory!" Maybe it was the aura the boy was giving off, but Shirou was feeling quite excited about the challenge.

Hearing those words, the boy's amusement seemed to have increased, or at least the laugh he let out seemed to say so. "Thou speekest like a true warrior! If thou wishest not to face new challenges, how wilt thou continue to grow?" Giving a predatory grin, the being started off toward the group. "Now, makest haste and beginest the match!"

Following the enigmatic and energetic being, Shirou couldn't help but think what had gotten into him. He doubt the old him would challenge a [not human] into a game of football.

* * *

The result had not been a surprised as he looked at the points. The team the being had joined had a very large lead against the team Shirou joined, but he could care less. During the game, he was able to outsmart the [not human] boy and stolen the ball from him and even managing to score a few goals. That had to count as a great accomplishment, right? They've even gathered a crowd of adults who worked there as well.

"But this has been going on for some time now… is it alright for them not going back to work?" Shirou mused out loud as the two walked away from the harbor with his backpack once more securely fastened on his back. There were some youths chatting animatedly, some even waving their arms around repeating 'Fantastico!' a few times. If he had to guess, they were probably telling their friends about the impromptu game.

"Freteth not such minor matters. This couldeth be their way of doing things. Is there not a saying… 'do as the Romans so'?" the youth replied. The predatory smile he had on his face during the game had disappeared and replaced with the tranquil smile once again.

Shirou looked back and smiled as well. The sunset on a harbor street provided a great background for the peaceful atmosphere. It was quite infectious. "I guess you're right," he nodded. While he was still unsure about the workers' attitude, lounging around like this after a nearly three hour football game, at least no one was hurt. It is a great way to relax as well, if a bit tiring for the body. "I'll be traveling inland tomorrow. What are you going to do next? If you want, we could meet up again before I have to go back to Japan," the redhead suddenly suggested as if forgetting his temporary traveling companion was a [not human].

"I too have something I must do. Wouldeth be nice to meet with thee again…" the boy trailed off. "Yes, playing games like so is not bad once in a while…"

Before Shirou could ask what the boy meant, a shadow before him caught his attention. Looking up, he came eye to eye with a blond local beauty. There was an air of proudness around her that Shirou could practically feel oozing out of her, like a certain mage he had the pleasure of knowing back in his original world. Shirou couldn't help but palm his face at the turn of event. 'Next thing I know, I will be getting a stern lecture from her about my lack of knowledge as well…'

"Excuse me, I'm sorry for the intrusion, but there is something I need to ask the person over there," the girl suddenly stated as she gave a sharp look at Shirou.

The redhead was stilled for a moment. He knew the girl in front of him had talked in Italian; the sound, the lip movement, everything had indicated she had spoken to him in Italian. However, his mind had comprehended what she said! Awkward didn't even begin to describe what Shirou was feeling at the moment. Did the [not human] affected him somehow simply by being near him? He wished he could ask the boy that, but there was another problem in front of them, literally.

While the girl was slightly shorter than him, the way she stood would've been quite imposing for any normal people. Her back strait and limbs slightly tightened as if anticipating any hostile actions she might receive. Even though she had a somewhat arrogant smirk tugging at her rose-colored lips, the hardened stare from her eyes were practically telling them that she would not hesitate to strike them down where they stood. Even if she does seem like she's talking down to him, she's being very cautious.

Standing there with her long blonde hair fluttering in the wind, with the light from the setting sun acting like a halo of light shining behind her red and black outfit; it was a sight many artists would want to immortalize in their work.

Without waiting for a reply, the girl turned her attention over to the [not human]. "Please tell me all about the god that has appeared on this island. My name is Erica Blandelli. Consider it a gift, as there is no need for you two to present your name."

Hearing that tone, Shirou couldn't help but groan. After being dragged into watching a few animes Illya had apparently gotten hooked on in this world, he had always said those shows over exaggerates how people behave. And now, here he was, looking at a girl who may as well embody that stereotypical 'ojou-sama' character from those shows. This simple trip of delivering a magical piece of stone tablet had become a stressful endeavor for the boy who wanted to be a hero.

"Wait… a god?" After getting over the shock of finding someone who acts like a stereotypic character from fictional works, Shirou's brain caught up to what the girl had said. "What's this about a god? Didn't the Age of Gods ended around 2,000 years ago?"

Hearing the way Shirou had spoken, Erica frowned with displeasure. "Had you never heard of the phrase 'do as the Romans do'? Coming to this city with clearly no knowledge of Italian, how foolish could you be?" the girl spoke with a furious tone. Apparently, she had chosen to ignore his comment in favor of chastising him, which made the redhead sigh in disbelieve.

Ignoring the 'clueless Japanese male', Erica turned her sight onto the black-haired boy and started speaking in her native tongues. "I would like to ask you about the [Heretic God0 incidents that appeared over the island of Sardinia about three days ago. Bosa, Orgosolo, Barumini… You were sighted in all the places where divine presences were confirmed. This cannot be coincidence, correct?"

The information caused Shirou's eyes to widen. 'A [Heretic God]? And that guy had been sighted wherever a 'divine presence' had been?' Was the girl saying the boy with him could possibly be a god? That theory was absurd, yet it would explain the unimaginable amount of prana radiating from the boy.

"I am Erica Blandelli," the girl suddenly reintroduced herself with her attention turned back to Shirou, "Great Knight of the magic association Copper Black Cross of Milan. Even in this remote place in the south, there are numbers of our association, and the person sighted just now is him."

Shirou was sweating now. She had just said the one thing he was afraid of: She belongs to a magic association. If it is anything like the Clock Tower Illya had told him about… a shiver went up his spine at the thought. Could she be here to capture the boy beside him for experimentation or something? If the boy truly is a god, would this magic association be foolish enough to risk the wrath of a god in the name of research?

Sensing the nervousness of the redhead, her eyes narrowed. She was now glaring at Shirou with near outright hostility. "Who on earth are you? Though it is not apparent, could you be a mage? A priest or deacon of some religion? If that's the case, there's nothing unusual about summoning a [Heretic God] by chance. Anything wrong with my speculation?"

The girl was looking into Shirou's eyes like a tigress staring down its prey. Looking around, he noticed a few passersby going about their daily lives. Would the girl be ruthless enough to involve the civilians in order to get her target? A scowl appeared on Shirou's face when he thought about it. Steeling himself, he straightened his back and stared right back at the girl.

"I have no idea what you've meant by [Heretic God]. I'm barely a third rate mage according to my nee-san, and my magecraft doesn't deal with summoning higher beings into our plain of existence," the redhead answered truthfully.

Unfortunately, the girl did not believe him. The smile that had adorned her beautiful face turned into a scowl. "Looks like I wouldn't be able to get the truth out of you without using force. No other way then. Our peaceful negotiation ends here and it's now time for battle."

Seeing the girl getting ready for battle, Shirou's instinct had shouted at him to trace a sword and finish the fight this instant. However, his intellectual side had told him to hold back for a bit and see how magecraft works in this world.

"Come, lion of steel. The one carrying the spirit of the lion, the steel that carries the essence of battle! Respond to my hand and voice! Your name is Cuore di Leone: The warrior inheriting the name of the lion-hearted king!"

Shirou was slightly impressed by the power that fragile looking girl had released, but scoffed at the long incantation. If he had followed his instinct, he could've already ended this little farce. All he had to do was use two words: Trace on. Well, if nothing else, at least he learned of a great advantage he has in this world.

"The knight Erica Blandelli swears thus, I will return your loyalty with my valor and chivalry!"

A beautifully crafted rapier appeared in the outstretched hand of the blond mage; the silver blade glimmered like a beam of clear light bathed in the rays of the setting sun. Swinging the elegant weapon from side to side before leveling the tip at the two, the proud smile was once more adorning her face. "If you are someone involved with gods, you must have heard of the mighty names of Erica Blandelli and Cuore di Leone? I have no wish to use the red and black techniques against a nobody. Hurry up and tell me all you know with efficiency, swiftly and obediently."

While Shirou wanted to smirk at the arrogance of the girl, he figured it might not be a good idea. After all, pissing off a noble from a magic association is a very bad idea. Instead, he decided to stand his ground. "Emiya Shirou. Unaffiliated to any magic associations. I am currently acting as an envoy delivering an artifact of sort to a resident currently residing at Oliena. And no, I've never heard of you or that rapier you're currently wielding before." Shifting into his ready stance, the same one he used while wielding the two Chinese dao he let a smirk pull at the end of his lips. "By the way, it is rude and dishonorable to point a weapon at an unarmed opponent. Didn't you say you were a knight?"

"Ahh, but why should I show honor to someone who doesn't have enough to tell the truth? If you decide to answer my questions honestly, maybe I'll show you some common courtesies as well," the female knight retorted wittily.

While the two continued their little face off, the boy with a faint smile on his face suddenly interrupted. "Thou art an unruly little lady. To point a sword at me, even for warriors of the past, none have dared such barbaric acts towards me. Even one tainted by darkness showeth more respect towards me. The ignorant are truly terrifying."

Finally remembering the boy next to the redhead, Erica started shifting her attention between the two. The girl had straightened her chest slightly and proudly puffed her chest. "Oh, so confident in your ability, are you?"

Shirou continued looking at the tip of the blade as it waved back and forth, waiting for a chance to strike. While the girl was no Servant, her blind spots are nearly nonexistent. It was completely different from Shirou's style where he deliberately left false blind spots in order to force his enemies into aiming where he wanted them to; the style Counter Guardian Emiya had spent years of hard work polishing into something incredible enough to take on Dead Apostles, maybe an Ancestor if he was lucky enough.

"If you'd like, I can prepare a sword for you. I wouldn't mind having a duel If you're truly as skillful as your confidence showed. And I, Erica Blandelli, will never let anyone escape a duel of the sword. What do you say?"

After hearing the girl, Shirou couldn't help but pout childishly. "Sure…" he mumbled loud enough for the blond beauty to hear. "Offer the guy next to me an honorable duel of the sword but threaten me while I'm unarmed. Why is it that girls always treat me like this…?"

While Shirou continued his uncharacteristic rant, the black-haired boy shook his head. "Thy proposal doth interest me, but sadly enough, I have no leisure to spare."

"I see. Never had a person refused my invitation before. To think I would have my first experience of rejection in such a place, how insulting," the girl huffed at the refusal.

"Hoho, thou shouldst not say so. I shall play with you one day," the boy replied, his voice filled with mirth. "But at the moment, a more troublesome fellow is coming."

Right as the youth finished, a loud explosion echoed the once quiet night of Cagliari. As Shirou trailed his eyes over to the cause, he couldn't help but drop his jaw. Out at sea, an enormous [Boar] had appeared and slowly moving inland, knocking over any buildings getting in its way. Looking over to the antagonistic girl, he found her frozen in shock. 'Wasn't this girl just talking about [Heretic Gods] just a moment ago? Was all that talk hollow threats?'

No, he knew the girl was skilled. Now that he thought about it, the girl didn't seem like she realized the boy next to him was a possible [Heretic God]. She was looking at the both of them as possible suspects for summoning a god, not being said god she was searching for.

Before he had time to ponder on the subject, his hand was grabbed by the black-haired youth. "Hey, boy, runnest! Makest haste and escapest!" he yelled as he ran, pulling Shirou with him. However, the youth was not pulling him away from the rampaging beast; he was pulling Shirou towards it.

"So why are we running toward the giant rampaging destructive creature instead of away?" While Shirou usually disregards his safety when there are people in danger, he's not stupid enough to risk his life unnecessary. Besides, Illya is still waiting for his return and he didn't want to break that promise like he did with Sakura.

"No matter what, our escape route was blocked by the sword. This is the so-called tiger at the front door, and something at the back. Makest thy decision quickly! Only charging into danger can there be chances of survival!" the youth yelled joyously despite the situation they were in. This just solidified Shirou's theory that the youth might be one of these [Heretic God] the girl spoke of earlier, especially since the [Boar] was giving off a similar 'smell' as him.

Shirou mentally groaned at that. 'Great… just once, I wish Yuri's ominous prediction is wrong. I guess it's too much to ask for seeing as my first life-or-death situation back in Fuyuki happened when I was fifteen as well… Is this set in stones by the Root or Alaya that 'All incarnations of Emiya Shirou must face a life threatening event at the age of fifteen'?' Great… if this keeps up, he might just turn into one of those crazy mages who curse the Root for everything that goes wrong in his life.

"W…Wait up! I have unfinished-"

"If fate allows it, we shall meet again! Goodbye!" the boy interrupted the girl before she could finish her protest.

As the redhead and the black-haired boys got closer to the [Boar], Shirou could finally get a much clearer picture of it. What had previously been thought of being black fur was actually a very dark red. What he thought was orange fur for its mane was actually fire. Every time the majestic creature took a step, the ground would shake violently. Every time it roars, buildings would tremble and windows shattered. When it charges, it would leave a trail of destruction no matter how big the obstructions in its path were.

A fire had apparently started where they were as well. While it brought back some bad memories, it wasn't something Shirou couldn't handle. After all, the fire that had remade him had been hundreds of times worse. At least there weren't any dead bodies around them. He could only hope the people had gotten away when the creature emerged from the sea and only the properties are damaged.

While Shirou continued to survey the area for anyone needing help, the youth did the same. However, despite the intense heat radiating from the surrounding fire, the youth did not have a single drop of sweat on him. Shirou, on the other hand, looked like he had just taken a bath in his own perspiration.

Suddenly, the youth looked up as if he had found something and turned his attention toward the harbor.

Seeing the sudden changed in the youth's demeanor, Shirou decided to asked, "Did you find something?"

"Yes. Actually I heard cries for help. It should not be my imagination," the youth answered.

That caught Shirou's attention. He couldn't hear anything but the cracking flames and the howling wind even with his reinforced hearing. The more he learned about the possible [Heretic God], the more outrageous they become in his mind. What's next, the ability to create a Reality Marble? Despite the increasing amount of questions he had about the boy, he decided to hold them off.

"So can you tell where they are coming from? We need to get to them as fast as possible! Their lives might be in danger!" Shirou blurted out in a panic.

"Haha! Not only the spirit of a true warrior, but thou hast the heart of a hero!" the youth proclaimed, looking at the panicking redhead in absolute amusement. "It hath been a long time since I met someone like thee. Yes, let us make haste toward those who requires aid!"

* * *

After five minutes of running through the burning destruction of the harbor, in front of them was a mountain of debris formed by the construction materials stacked around the warehouses. Shirou recalled seeing numerous amounts of them stacked roof high when playing here with the locals earlier. There was no way they could advance past the burning wreckage without any proper equipment and he was afraid he might accidentally hurt those on the other side if he fired off a Caladbolg since he could hear the voices clearly on the other side.

"Those fellows likely failed to escape in time, and could only cry for help in sorrowful voices," the black-haired boy suddenly stated behind Shirou, his smile never leaving his face even under these dire situations.

On the other hand, the redhead hero was going through his mind, trying to figure out which Noble Phantasm could help. All anti-unit weapons were not useful in this circumstance, and almost all of his anti-fortress and anti-army weapons would cause more destruction than he needed.

"Damn it! There should be something I could use!" he yelled out in frustration before the perfect weapon appeared in his mind. [Gáe Bolg], the Soaring Spear that Strikes with Death; the spear of Cú Chulainn, the person that forced him into the Grail War back in Fuyuki. Without a second thought, the redhead activated his magic circuits and traced the famous cursed spear. The weapon would most likely drain his stamina dry but he could care less. With almost the same grace as the Hound of Ulster, he leaped high into the air. Bending his back as far as possible like drawing a bow and calling out the weapon's name, he snapped his body forward and released the spear. "[Gáe… Bolg]!" While not as fast or powerful as the original wielder's, the spear shot forth like a furious red missile and destroyed the pile of debris.

Seeing something so spectacular, the black-haired boy couldn't help but laugh in amazement. "To think, thou hast the spear wielded by the son of Lugh! Thou art truly an interesting brat amongst the mortals! And to put the safety of others before thy own, thou art a boy with admirable qualities. Thy sense of justice is worthy of ten poems of praise bestowed by me!"

Panting tiredly from overusing prana, Shirou couldn't help but smile wryly. "I'm honored to hear such compliments from one like you, but we need to get everyone out of here before the fire reach us."

The boy nodded solemnly, but turned away from the redhead. "Yes, but unfortunately, we must part way. To have amused myself so much with a brat amongst the mortals was truly unexpected, but it is almost the end. I must finish my mission. If fate willeth, let us meet again. May peace be with thee." Pointing over at the path cleared of any debris and fire, the black-haired boy declared to the crowd, "The direction ye follow hath no vortex of flame, only stable mortal life. Righteous characters will not lose the light's blessing, ye should go straight ahead. Now leave."

Shirou couldn't help but feel some presence washed over his body and forced it to move. Seeing the locals he had just saved running past them, he had a feeling they were probably affected by it as well. After all, he didn't think someone with a sprained ankle could run past him with the speed of an Olympic sprinter. Resisting the spell as much as he could, he deftly turned around to face the boy.

"What a stubborn brat, thou resistest my spell words." Instead of being angry, the boy sounded more amused than ever before.

"How can I run away when there might be others that need help?" Shirou questioned. While he most likely couldn't pull off another incredible feat like that again, he could still go around helping some wounded civilians out.

"Worry not, I will save those who requires my aid," the youth reassured the redhead with a sigh. No matter what, the redhead was being quite adamant about helping out. Looking at the rampaging [Boar], he couldn't help but muse aloud. "Such a shame to have lost my name. If my name was called during time of crisis, my blessing will be obtained. If I were my past self, I would never leave these parting phrase as parting words." Turning back to Shirou, he proclaimed in a grandiose way, "So friend, I shall gift these words to thee: farewell! Makest haste and run!"

The result was instantaneous. Unable to control himself anymore, Shirou was forced to run away from the destroyed harbor with the rest of the people there. For a moment, he wondered if this is how the Servants feel when a Master used a Command Seal.

After making their way into an unaffected area, the crowd turned their attention toward the rampaging beast moments before it crashed into the Duomo cathedral, pulverizing the landmark into rubble.

As Shirou wondered if he should force himself to trace an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm despite his exhaustion, a breeze blew past him and the crowd. The next thing they saw was nothing short of incredible. The winds that had swept past them quickly gathered near the boar and instantly turned into a tornado powerful enough to lift the beast into the sky. When the massive creature reached the pinnacle of its flight, a flash of golden light could be seen going straight through the side of it. The [Boar] let out a roar in pain as flashes of golden light continue to attack it. With one last painful roar, the tornado stopped and dropped the dead beast back to the ground, resulting in a loud crash and more buildings collapsing.

And then the [Boar] disintegrated into grains of sand before being swept of by a gust of wind.

Throughout the entire city, rescue teams were being put together to see if there were any survivors needing help. Many people were still looking at the entire scene before them in shock, some were crying, some furious, some terrified, and even some sighing in relief that such event had finally ended. There were even some who were praying to God.

Amongst the chaos that was once a beautiful ancient city, Shirou couldn't help but wonder what kind of world he had just stepped into.

* * *

**And I'll leave it as that. Yes, I've taken a lot of the scenes out of the light novel, but I'm going to change things up in later arc. At this point, unless I had Illya follow Shirou to Italy in the first place, I can't really change too much. After all, unlike the original main character, Shirou does have knowledge on magic and he had been training his body to the extreme. We will see Kusanagi Godou again, but he had been demoted to a side character. This story is going to have quite a bit of comedy (no matter how dry it may be) so if you guys don't enjoy it... well I apologize in advance, but that's my writing style.**

**For those of you who continued to follow this story, thank you. I am a slow updater since my muse had just taken an arrow to the knee due to some real life crap I have to deal with, but I will update as soon as I can. Ja ne~~~  
**


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